Sloping bottom tray and support structure



- L. P. TOUCHETT 2,444,584

SLOPING BOTTOM TRAY AND SUPPORT STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 12. 1945 IN VENTOR. ZAWRE/VL'E PAUL mum/[r7 .SLOPHNG BQ'E'BKDM TRAY AND SUPPORTSTRUCTURE Lawrence Paul Touchett, Fond du Lac, Wish, as-

sor to E Z Paintr Corporation, a corporation of Wisconsin ApplicationOctober 12, 19%, Serial No. 621,896

3 @lalms. (CE. 22%1) My invention relates to trays, and moreparticularly to a type of tray that may be employed to supply paint whenused in connection with a conventional type of paint roller.

When paint is to be applied to the surface being coated by means of aroller instead of a brush, it is quite necessary to provide a vessel orcontainer that will provide even distribution of the paint over theperipheral surface of the roller.

The object of my inventionis to provide a means of supplying paint orthe like evenly over the entire peripheral surface of a roller withoutthe inconvenience of surplus material dripping from the roller duringthe application.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed that may be supported from the rung of a ladder in a manner toafiord convenience for the operator.

Other and further objects of my invention will become more apparent asthe description proceeds when taken in conjunction with the drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tray, illustrating the manner inwhich the bottom is inclined and showing an inwardly projecting memberat the front for support of the tray on the rung of a ladder.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, perspective view of the front of the device,showing an adjustable means for arranging the position of the supportmember.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional *ew of the device, illustrating the means,of ret -.ining the paint at its deepest part and showing the paintroller in phantom.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the adjustablesupport member attached to the forward standard, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view of the tray applied andsupported by a ladder shown in phantom.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and referring now to the same, the character l showsa pan open at the top, having a rear wall II and two tapered side wallsl2 and I2. The front wall I3 is narrow and the bottom It tapers upwardtoward the forward end from the lower edge of the rear wall ll.

There is a vertical front plate l supporting the front end of the panill in a position where in Figures 1, 3 and 5, and as a separate unit inFigures 2 and '4. The member It consists of an angularly disposed plateextending from the inner wall of the plate l5 rearward. The front platei5 is shown provided with elongated slots H in Figures 2 and 4 and boltmembers l8 extend through the member I6 and the slots l! in the platel5, and are supported and fastened by means of the winged nuts E9 toretain the member It in frictional contact with the inner face of theplate l5.

In Figure 5, I show the pan 10 supported by the ladder 20, shown inphantom, and the liquid or paint 23 as shown in Figures 3 and 5 is shownretaining a level at the deep end of the pan II].

It is manifest to anyone familiar with the art that when apaint roller2|, as shown in phantom; is employed, the roller may be submergedpartially at the edge of the paint, shown as 22 in Figure 3, and may berolled over the exposed portion of the bottom l4, thereby permittingeven distribution of the paint over the entire surface of the roller.

While I have shown in detail a specific con-'- struction of my device, Iam fully cognizant of the fact that there may be many changes made inthe form and configuration of the various parts without affecting theoperativeness of the device, and I reserve the right to make suchchanges as I may deem necessary and convenient without departing fromthe spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United StatesPatent Ofice is:

1. A pan of the character described having a deep rear wall, a shallowfront wall, two side walls, a bottom tapered upward from the lower edgeof the rear wall to the lower edge of the front wall, said bottomattached to all walls at their lower edge, a vertical standardsupporting said pan at its forward end said standard of a height toprovide a horizontal alignment of the of side walls extending from saidtapered bottom to horizontal edges extending from the top of said rearwall to the top of said front wall, a

vertical standard supporting said device at its forward end saidstandard of a height to place the upper edges 0,! all of said walls in ahorizontal plane, said vertical standard provided with a longitudinallydisposed angular member extending from the inner face of said verticalstandard toward and below the bottom of said device.

3. A tray of the character described comprising: a shallow, open-toppedsubstantially rectangular receptacle having a bottom sloping from oneend of the receptacle to the other so that one end is deeper than theother; a toot 1o portion secured to the end portion of the receptaele ofleast depth and projecting downwardly an extent such that the lower edgethereof is vertically spaced from the upper edge of the receptacle adistance substantially equal to the depth of the opposite end portion ofthe receptacle so that said foot and the opposite end of the receptaclemay s p rt the receptacle with the top edges thereof substantiallyhorizontal;

and a ledge projecting in from said foot por- 20 tion to underlie thebottom of the receptacle and form a hook adapted to eng e under asupport,

4 like the step or top of a step ladder, 'to hold the receptacle thereonwith its portion of least depth over the support, and its portion ofgreater depth projecting therebeyond.

LAWRENCE PAUL TOUCHE'I'T.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

